Thoughtful Wedding Gift Ideas: Personalized Maps and a Hawaiian Honeymoon Care Package My close friend John’s cousin Travis is marrying my best friend Cat, which means my best buddy of nearly nine years will soon be family. It’s an exciting change—knowing we’ll see each other at Christmas and other family gatherings feels surreal. John and … Read more

John and I often ask ourselves the same question: how did a casual blog about our upcoming kitchen renovation—intended for friends and family—turn into a full-time job reaching thousands of readers interested in interior design and home improvement? Because that question has been showing up more and more in our inbox (and even in a … Read more

Guessing the Color of the Year has become a beloved ritual. We used to do it on our podcast and now continue the tradition on Instagram Stories. Each COTY (Color of the Year) season we like to gather the year’s selections in one place so you can compare them side by side. Below is a … Read more

Last week we found ourselves singing the opening line of the song Starships—“Let’s go to the beach, each, let’s go get away”—because we actually went to the beach. It was our annual family vacation to Bethany Beach on the Delaware coast, a week we spend with relatives every summer. This year the trip coincided with … Read more

We’ve seen box-filled rooms before, but this one takes the idea to a whole new level. The scene you’re looking at is what we affectionately called our “Box Graveyard” — the guest bedroom completely stacked with empty moving boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap and other supplies. After days of carefully wrapping and labeling, there was … Read more

When Melissa shared photos of her sleek, modern kitchen makeover, we barely recognized the space. Her thoughtful updates and budget-savvy choices transformed a builder-grade condo kitchen into a bright, inviting cooking area. Below is her story in her own words, followed by our observations and tips inspired by her remodel. I love following your design … Read more

After receiving hundreds of submissions from readers across Australia, South Africa, India, Colombia and many other countries, we collected some of the most delightful and surprising ways people decorate their homes for holidays around the world. From vibrant Diwali rangoli patterns to intricate Nativity scenes in Latin America, and from Advent wreaths to Hanukkah displays, … Read more

Surprise — we painted the guest bathroom this weekend: walls, trim, and even the ceiling. We went with a clean, bright white (Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore) to freshen the whole room. It feels much lighter and more open already. Why white? The previous paint looked dingy, and repainting was the simplest way to brighten … Read more

After fifteen painfully slow days of impatient waiting, our kitchen remodel picked back up again this past Monday with the arrival of the replacement corner cabinet. It was a small moment that felt huge: the project finally moved forward after a frustrating pause, and the home began to look like the finished kitchen we’ve been … Read more

Here’s a little hint: y-e-l-l-o-w-d-o-o-r. I’m painting our front door a cheerful, rain-boot yellow. That’s my playful name for the swatch we selected — a glossy, sunny yellow that immediately lifts the mood. I wish I could share after photos already, but real-life prep took longer than I expected. The good news is the heavy … Read more